tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283557549598597632.post1863750035588032458..comments2009-04-19T19:14:50.314-07:00Contacthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16867942804779944815autism.parent@gmail.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5283557549598597632.post-90144892998557385092009-04-17T00:48:00.000-07:002009-04-17T00:48:00.000-07:00He does go off on a tangent and could do a better job communicating what he wants to say, not to mention that some of the language wasn't necessary, but too much stuff is being pathologized as autism. He's kind of right about American parents. Some parents like their kids labeled and doped up and do hold them back and keep them around too long. My mom didn't know what was age-appropriate and kept me doped into a state of confusion, which kept me from having the brains to get out, not to mention that she threatened to cut off my college funding if I moved out. (If I had known what that garbage really was I'd have dumped it where it belonged, regardless of consequences.) While I was doped and impaired I married a guy who believed in living with extended family. You guessed it: she never took the opportunity to kick us out or urge us to find our own place. There are actually more details to the story and it's a LOT worse than that. <br />One parenting mistake I won't make is having my kids pathologized. If I had a kid with real autism or something, then I'd acknowledge it, defend the kid, and get the best help I could find, but I don't consider personality quirks to be autism. <br />My mom pathologizes everything I do and that's part of the reason for my post-traumatic stress. I had so much going for me. Please let your quirky kids be who they are and don't pathologize them if they're mean and nasty, either.<br />As for genuine autism, it must be a challenge. I respect that and I don't want to create any misunderstandings the way Denis Leary did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com